The Best DSLR and Mirrorless

Camera Lenses of 2018

You've got an interchangeable lens camera, so take advantage of it and change your lens! The starter lens you got along with your camera is just that—to get started with. Upgrade to a better one, or supplement your kit with a different type of lens.

If you shoot with an SLR or mirrorless camera and don't use any lenses aside from the zoom that was likely bundled with your camera, you're missing out. Bundled starter zooms—often referred to as kit zooms—are better made now than in years past, but still have limitations. Typically they don't gather a ton of light, so you can't blur backgrounds easily or snap sharp pics in dim situations, and overall build and image quality is compromised in favor of cost. There are a number of ways to go when buying a new lens for your camera. You can simply upgrade to a higher quality zoom, you can get a lens that captures a wider perspective or one that brings distant  subjects into close view, or even a macro lens to bring the tiniest details of the world into view.

What to Look for in a Lens

There are a number of things to look for when buying a lens.Angleof view is the most obvious-the focal length, expressed in millimeters, tells you how broad or narrow the field of view is, although you'll have to do a bit of mental math to compare lenses for different sensor sizes. An 18-55mm zoom on  an APS-C camera covers roughly the same angle of view as a 28-85mm mounted to a full-frame system. Micro four thirds lenses enjo a 2X crop factor, so you 'll want a 14-42mm to cover the same range.

This also means you'll want to buy the appropriate lens for your camera. You need to pay attention to the mount, but also the coverage. You can put a full-frame lens on an APS-C camera—its angle of view will just be narrower than it would be with a larger sensor. But if you put a dedicated APS-C lens on a compatible full-frame body, you'll see a big black circle at the edges of your images—that's because the lens is only meant to cover a smaller sensor.

And you want to look at the f-stop—a measure of the light a lens can gather, with lower numbers  gathering more light---typically zooms open up to f/2.8 at most and prime lenses to f/1.2, lthough there are exceptions in both cases. If you wonder how a photographer manages to capture a photo with a blurred background behind the subject, it's by shooting a lens at a lower f-stop value. You don't have to shoot a lens at its widest aperture. There are times when you want to use a setting like f/8 or f/11, specifically to increase the amount of an image that's in focus or to improve overall sharpness. Focal length, distance to subject, and distance between your subject and the background also come into play in how blurred the background looks—it's easier to create blur with a telephoto lens than with a wide angle, given an equal distance between camera and focus point.

you also want to consider image stabilization (IS). A stabilized lens makes it possible to capture handheld images without blur when keeping the shutter open for longer durations. It's also a big plus for handheld videos—good stabilization will get rid of tiny jitters, which can be distracting. It won't deliver Steadicam-level results, but can certainly add some value to your home movies and cinéma vérité indie film projects.

Some camera systems offer in-body, sensor-based IS—these include Pentax and Sony SLRs, and select mirrorless cameras from Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony. In-body IS is most effective at wider angles; it still works with telephoto lenses, but isn't quite as adept at cutting out camera shake.

Lens-based stabilization is what you'll want to look for if your camera body doesn't have its own IS system—and if your body does have IS, many lens systems will work in tandem to net results that neither system can manage on its own.

Other factors to consider include focus type— most of the lenses we recommend to consumers are autofocus but there are some very high-quality manual focus- onl lenses out there ,many of which are appealing for video use—and build quality. If you have a camera that's sealed for use in heavy rain or snow you'll want to make sure your lens is also protected. Many weather-protected lenses now use fluorine coating on the exterior glass, a material that repels water and grease.

Read on to learn about the various types of lenses available for modern mirrorless cameras and SLRs.

A Better Standard Zoom

If you've got an APS-C camera—like a Canon Rebel or Fujifilm mirrorless— the basic starter lens is tpicall  an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 or a 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6. The f-numbers tell you how much light a lens gathers when its aperture is at its widest setting; the lower the number, the more light the lens can gather. There are two numbers listed for many zoom lenses because the ability to gather light dwindles as you zoom in.

When swapping out the starter zoom you can go in a couple of different directions. You can get a lens with a wider range of coverage,like an 18-135mm or even a superzoom like theTamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC.You won't gain any advantage light photography, but you'll be able to bring more distant subjects into view and cut down on the frequency of lens changes. For some photographers, especially those who prefer to capture

images outdoors in sunlight, this is a good way to go.

If you're happy with the range your current lens delivers, but want to be able to get crisper shots in dim light, go with a wide-aperture zoom. We recommend a pair from Sigma to SLR owners—the 17-70mm F2.8- DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary,which expands the range and gathers more light than most kit zooms, while also offering 1:3 macro for close-up shots, and the 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art, which has a very short zoom range but gathers a lot more light than other zooms.

Both offer better image quality and are available at a lesser cost than premium, dedicated APS-C zooms from Canon and Nikon, although the AF-S DX Nikkor 16-80mm f/2.8-4 ED VR is a good alternative to the Sigma 17-70mm if you use a Nikon system and shy away from third-party lenses.

If you own a Pentax or Sony SLR you can still go with either of the aforementioned Sigma lenses, although the long-zooming Tamron 18-400mm is only sold for Canon and Nikon cameras. Good step-up options from Pentax include the HD DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 Limited DC WR and the premium DA* 16-50mm F2.8 if you want a brighter aperture, or the Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3if you prefer a longer zoom range. The 18-200mm is also available in a Sony A mount, and Sony sells its own DT 16-50mm F2.8 as a premium wide-aperture option.

Mirrorless shooters don't have a large number of third-party zoom options available, but most systems offer a step-up lens, with Canon's EF-M mirrorless line being a notable exception—it has the long-zooming EF-M 18-150mm, but no native wide aperture zooms.

We were a bit underwhelmed by the Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR—it doesn't measure up to the quality of other lenses in the system. But the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 LM OISis a very solid upgrade from the system's basic 16-50 mm zoom.

Micro Four Thirds owners can choose Olympus or Panasonic lenses, regardless of camera bodies. Olympus has our favorite pro-grade zoom for the system, the 12-40mm F2.8, and the best long zoom we've seen, the 12-100mm F4, but doesn't have a lot of mid-grade options.

Panasonic fills that void with the 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6, which sells for around $500.

Sony's recent efforts in mirrorless have been focused on its full-frame FE system, but its APS-C system is still quite popular. And while you can opt to use premium FE lenses on APS-C bodies,for a standard zoom an APS-C dedicated lens is a better choice, as it doesn't sacrifice wide-angle coverage. Sony has 18-135mm and 18-200mm zooms for photographers who prefer extended range, and there's the E 16-70mm f/4 ZA for those looking for an upgrade in image quality.

Choosing a standard zoom for a full-frame system is a bit different than doing the same for an APS-C or Micro Four Thirds system. You'll notice that the focal lengths are longer, because the full-frame sensor size is physically larger. The angle of view of the 16-50mm lens for APS-C is matched by a 24-70mm zoom on a full-frame system.

And because full-frame cameras are targeted at more advanced users, there are fewer basic kit lenses—even bundled options are fairly premium. It's less about stepping and more about picking the right lens  for you.

All the major players in full-frame—Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony—offer up at least one 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom. (Leica has a 24-90mm f/2.8-4 for its full-frame SL system.) But while the f/2.8 24-70mm is the most popular option for pros, it's not the only one.

If you don't need to shoot in dim conditions, you can save some money by going for a 24-70mm f/4—Canon and Sony both offer one—or a longer f/4 zoom. Sigma sells its 24-105mm f/4 for Canon, Nikon,and Sony SLRs, and there are first-party options available for Canon SLRs and Sony mirrorless cameras.  Nikon goes a bit longer with its f/4 standard zoom for its Nikkor 24-120mm.

You can get a superzoom lens for a full-frame system too. Canon and Nikon both have a 28-300mm in the lineup, and Sony has a 24-240mm. These lenses are larger and heavier than extended zooms for APS-C cameras, which is to be expected given the difference in sensor size.

Zooms for full-frame cameras don't typically get brighter than f/2.8, but there is one notable exception.

The Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art doesn't have much of a zoom range, but it makes up for it in optical quality and aperture.

If you love the shallow depth of field look you can get with a prime lens, but want a little bit of a zoom, it's a fine choice.

Ultra-Wide

With kit lenses starting at 16mm or 18mm for APS-C and at 24mm or 28mm for full-frame, you've already

got decent wide-angle coverage out of the box. But what if you want to capture even wider views, or make images in very tight confines?

That's where an ultra-wide lens comes in handy. They are appealing for photographers who want to get more in the frame, but some care needs to be taken to get the best images. Most wide lenses show some barrel distortion (though not as much curve as a fish-eye), but it's perspective that can get you into trouble. You'll want to take care to keep the camera pointed straight on at your subject, as angled shots tend to stretch them out in a wide, unflattering manner. The same advice goes for distance—you can focus really close with most wide lenses, but putting a camera in someone's face will skew their features.

Zooms for APS-C models, like Tamron's affordable10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD cover a significantly wider swath than a standard zoom. The Tamron zoom is available for Canon and Nikon SLRs, both of  which also have a number of first-party lenses at varying price points.Pentax owners can opt for an older version of the Tamron 10-24mm, the Sigma 8-16mm, or the Pentax 12-24mm for wide coverage. If you use a Sony A-mount camera you also have a few third-party options,as well as the company's own 11-18mm DT lens.

Mirrorless shooters don't have native third-party options in this class, but each system have its own solution.Some options include the Canon EF-M 11-22mm, the Fujinon 10-24mm F4, the Olympus 7-14mm,and theSony 10-18mm.

Ultra-wide prime lenses dedicated to smaller-than-full-frame sensors are the exception rather than the rule.  Fujifilm has its XF 14mm F2.8 and Zeiss sells the Touit 12mm for Fujifilm and Sony E cameras, and there are a number of manual focus wide-angle options available from manufacturers like Rokinon/Samyang and Venus.

You have more options for ultra-wide prime lenses with full-frame coverage. The Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Artis the widest bright-aperture lens we've seen, and is available in  Canon, Nikon, and Sigma mounts. Canon and Nikon have their own wide 14mm lenses, but they only open up to f/2.8. The Sigma's brighter design is especially appealing for astrophotography work, as it makesmanual focus using the rear LCDeasier and also makes it possible to use a lower ISO for cleaner images of the night sky.Sony FE owners can adapt the 14mm F1.8 using Sigma's MC-11 adapter, or go with the Zeiss Batis 2.8/18, although it isn't as wide or as bright as the Sigma. Zooms are more common when you go ultra-wide, especially with a full-frame system. Even Leica, known for its small prime, manual focus rangefinder lenses, makes one single zoom for its M system,  the 16-18-21mm Wide Angle Tri-Elmar.

The widest full-frame zoom with autofocus is Canon's unique EF 11-24mm f/4L, but you can save a bit of  money if you go for the less ambitious Sigma 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art, which is also also available for Nikon camera. Nikon doesn't have its own zoom with 12mm coverage, instead its system starts with the  Nikkor AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G, which has a low-cost competitor in the form of the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM Art.You don't have to start out so wide. Canon and Nikon both offer at least one 16-35mm zoom design. Canon has an f/2.8 without image stabilization and an f/4 with IS, while Nikon only offers a stabilized f/4. For f/2.8 and stabilization, look to the excellent Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD.

Pentax has one ultra-wide zoom for its full-frame K-1 Mark II, a 15-30mm f/2.8. The lens is a clone of the aforementioned Tamron, although without in-lens stabilization. Instead, it relies on the in-bodyIS included in all modern Pentax SLRs. Sony also uses in-body IS in its A-mount SLR family—you can go with the Tamron or Sony's own 16-35mm f/2.8 if you use an a99 II.

Ultra-wide zooms for mirrorless cameras can be made smaller than for SLRs—their optical design benefits from the short distance between lens mount and sensor. Sony's full-frame mirrorless system has a trio of ultra-wide zooms—the 12-24mm F4, the 16-35mm F4, and the 16-35mm F2.8.

Fish-Eye

Fisheye lenses cover the widest of wideviews,but do so with heavy barrel distortion that gives them their moniker.These lenses tend to garner a love it or hate it response, with little middle ground, but I like to use them to get more a more interesting perspective on the world,especially when traveling.There are different types of fish-eye lenses available .one of our favorite affordable option, the lensbaby Cirlular fisheye captures a fully circular image when paired with a full-frame camera (see above), and while the very top and bottom of the circular image are cropped when using it with an APS-C sensor. It's manual focus,  but you have a lot of depth of field when shooting at such a wide angle.

more traditional fish-eye lenses cover the entire frame. Nikon has a 10.5mmprime for its DX (APS-C) system, Pentax has a 10-17mm fish-eye zoom for its APS-C cameras, and Tokina sells a very similar lens for Canon and Nikon SLRs. Micro Four Thirds shooters have some fish-eye options too. Olympus and Panasonic both sell an autofocus fish-eye prime for Micro Four Thirds. Other mirrorless systems will have to go third-party and manual focus-the aforementioned Lensbaby is available for all the major players, as are options from brands like 7artisans, Rokinon, and Samyang.

Sony doesn't offer any full-frame fish-eyes for its FE mirrorless mount, but you can use a Rokinon or Samyang manual focus lens via an adapter. You can adapt the Canon EF 8-15mmlens if you want both zoom and autofocus in your fish-eye, and of course it can also be used natively on a Canon SLR. Nikon also has its own fish-eye zoom for full-frame SLRs, the AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm. The Canon and Nikon zooms capture a full circular image at their widest angle, and fill the entirety of the frame when zoomed in a bit.

Telephoto

You know a telephoto lens when you see one. They're typically longer than other lenses, and can be very,very big—take a look at those huge, white-barreled lenses at the sidelines of major sporting events. The lenses the pros use cost thousands of dollars and bring distant action into clear view.

But telephoto lenses don't have to be absurdly expensive, heavy, or large. Consumers who use smaller-than-full-frame cameras can opt for a basic long zoom lens to complement a standard zoom. These lenses typically sport smaller f-stops, so they're really best used in brighter light, but can be had a couple of hundred dollars. Look for a lens with a 50-200mm or 50-300mm range to match an APS-C SLR or mirrorless body. All but the lowest-cost options will include image stabilization, unless you're shooting with a system that puts that feature exclusively in the camera body—at this point that's limited to Pentax and Sony SLRs.

Our favorite affordable full-frame telezooms include the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary and the lighter, smaller Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary. Both are available for under $1,000 and work with both Canon and Nikon SLRs.

You can spend more—Sigma and Tamron both sell premium 150-600mm zooms, delivering slightly better image quality and a significantly sturdier build and weather sealing than their entry-level options. (Sigma calls its premium lens the 150-600mm Sports, while Tamron uses the 150-600mm G2 moniker for its take.)

And there are times when a bright lens is more important than one that offers long reach. The 70-200mm f/2.8 is the go-to lens for full-frame event shooters, and there are on-brand and third-party options available for every full-frame system.Canon and Nikon both offer a long zoom with a fixed f/4 aperture, 400mm reach, and an integrated 1.4x teleconverter, but they're priced for pros at more than $10,000 each. You're paying for the relatively wide aperture, which allows you to use the integrated teleconverter to extend the reach of the lens without major harm to image quality. These types of lenses are huge and heavy—that's the law of physics at work—but they don't have to be insanely expensive. The Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM still tips the scales at 7.5 pounds, but is "only" $3,600. Add a 2x teleconverter and it becomes a 240-600mm f/5.6 on full-frame and a 360-900mm f/5.6 on an APS body.

Other systems are covered with telezooms too. Pentax has a 150-450mm zoom for full-frame and a 60-250mm for APS-C in the premium realm, and the typical 55-300mm APS-C option for budget shoppers.

Sony SLR owners also have a 55-300mm budget option and pricier choices, including a 70-400mm zoom that works with APS-C and full-frame bodies.

Sony mirrorless owners are also covered. There's a dedicated 55-210mm for APS-C bodies, a low cost lens with so-so image quality. But there are also a number of full-frame compatible zooms at vase price points, including a 70-300mm, a pair of 70-200mm zooms, a 100-400mm,and a forthcoming 400mm f/2.8 prime.

The most dedicated wildlife and sports photographers may opt for a prime telephoto lens instead of a zoom. The longest f/2.8 lens we've seen is a 400mm, but f/4 lenses are available through 600mm, and if you want to move up to an 800mm lens, you'll have to be happy with an f/5.6 design, and be willing to spend more than $10,000 for the pleasure of ownership.

The wider apertures realized by prime optics offer a couple of real benefits—the ability to use lower ISOs in difficult light, extreme control over depth of field, and teleconverter compatibility among them.

Most cameras can only focus to f/8 or f/11, so you can snap a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter on exotic lenses  and focus with full speed and accuracy.

Premium telephoto primes aren't limited to full-frame systems. Both Olympus and Panasonic offer high-quality prime options for Micro Four Thirds, suitable for use with a teleconverter. Olympus has a 300mm f/4 and Panasonic has a 200mm f/2.8, both with teleconverter compatibility.

Fast Prime

Long prime telephoto lenses certainly fit into the fast prime category on a technical level, but they're not the first lens you think of when it comes to wide apertures. Typically you think of a wide to standard lens—somewhere in the 24 to 50mm range—with an f/1.4 or f/2 maximum aperture, which will net shallower depth of field and better images in very dim light than a zoom.

For entry-level shooters I typically recommend a lens in the 24 to 35mm range for an APS-C camera. Canon has its affordable EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM, which isn't super bright, but is just $150 and incredibly light and compact. If you want a brighter design think about the EF 28mm f/1.8 USM or the EF 35mm f/2 IS USM, but be prepared to spend a bit in either case—these full-frame-compatible lenses all for more than $500 each.

Nikon shooters have a dedicated DX (APS-C) wide aperture prime in the form of the AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G, an under-$200 lens that captures a standard-angle field of view and pairs quite well with entry-level models. If you prefer a wider angle, the full-frame-compatible AF-S Nikkor 28mm f/1.8G is a strong option, though it's priced for full-frame systems ($700).

Pentax SLR owners have no shortage of compact,high-quality prime lenses in the form of theHD Limitedseries, but the company doesn't offer one between the HD DA Limited 21mm f/3.2 and the HD DA Limited 35mm f/2.8 Macro. The brightest, low-cost option in the Pentax line is the DA 35mm f/2.4, which sells for around $150.

If you use a Sony SLR, the $220 DT 35mm f/1.8 SAM fills the same purpose. Both Pentax and Sony SLR shooters would do well to look at the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM Art (also available for Canon and Nikon SLRs), which is a pricier option, but one that covers a standard-angle field of view and delivers a bright f/1.4 f-stop.

Almost any prime that you buy for a Micro Four Thirds camera will be built with that sensor size in mind. Olympus has compact 17mm and 25mm f/1.8 lenses, and if you want to blur backgrounds even more (and don't mind spending some money), it offers f/1.2 primes in both those focal lengths as part of its Pro series. Panasonic also offers its own bright primes, including the 15mm f/1.7 and 25mm f/1.7.

The same is true for Fujifilm—its X mirrorless system is APS-C only. We recommend the XF 23mm F2 WR and the XF 35mm F2 WR as standard primes.

Canon's mirrorless system doesn't have a ton of primes—or lenses in general—at this point in its development, but there is the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM, which fits the bill in aperture and angle of view.

Sony APS-C mirrorless owners have some options, though Sony's lenses tend to be a bit pricier than others. The E 35mm f/1.8 is a big purchase for entry-level buyers at $450. The FE 28mm f/2, which is a full-frame lens, is available for the same price, and is a solid option for APS-C shooters who prefer a moderate wide-angle prime.

Sigma has a pair of f/1.4 lenses for the Sony E system (which are also sold for Micro Four Thirds cameras). Its  16mm Contemporary ($340) and 30mm Contemporary ($450) are both excellent options.

Full-frame owners have a lot more choices in this category, both from first and third parties—big-name lens makers Sigma and Tamron have a wide range of prime lenses for Canon and Nikon owners.  You can choose from f/1.4, f/1.8, or f/2 primes depending on your needs and budget in focal lengths ranging from 24mm through 50mm with ease—Canon owners can even get a 50mm f/1.2.

If you're not shooting with one of the big two in SLRs, your options aren't as vast, but they aren't nonexistent. Pentax owners can look to the FA 31mm f/1.8 Limited or the FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited, and Sony a99 II owners have f/1.4 35mm and 50mm options, both from Sony itself or from Sigma.If you've got a Sony FE mirrorless camera you're also covered. Sony has its own f/1.4 lenses at 35mm and 50mm, and while we've yet to see native third-party options, rest assured they are coming. Sigma already sells its 35mm and 50mm Art lenses in an FE mount, though they are just SLR designs with an extended barrel to occupy the space that would be taken up by the mirror box on an SLR.

Portrait

What's the difference between a dedicated portrait lens and your typical fast prime? It boils down to focal length, mostly. Sure, you can shoot an environmental portrait—one that incorporates both the subject and the world around it—with a wide-angle lens. But when you think about a lens for portraits, you think of one that's around 85 to 200mm (in full-frame terms), with an aperture that's large enough to blur out the background behind your subject.

Because of the longer focal length, we don't see dedicated designs for APS-C SLRs. Canon and Nikon owners should look to a "nifty fifty" full-frame lens as an affordable lens for portraiture. Both the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM and the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G are affordable options for portraiture. Sure, you can set your kit lens to 55mm, but the f/5.6 won't blur out the background with the same aplomb as when shooting at f/1.8.You can opt for a longer, pricier lens to shoot portraits with your SLR. On an APS-C sensor, an 85mm is a fine choice for tighter shots, though you'll have to back up quite a bit from your subject to get something wider than a headshot.pentax owners have an affordable portrait option with the DA 50mm f/1.8, which sells for just over $100, and more premium options like the HD DA 70mm and FA 77mm f/1.8, the latter of which is compatible with full-frame models as well.

Sony SLR owners can opt for the DT 50mm f/1.8 SAM, a $170 take on the nifty-fifty with APS-C coverage. Sony offers an affordable 85mm f/2.8, priced at $300, but for portraits you'll probably want a brighter lens. Choices are narrow, with the $1,700 Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 the only current autofocus option (and not a budget model by any means).

Micro Four Thirds owners work with smaller sensors, so a lens in the 40 to 100mm range is a good choice. Olympus has 45mm lenses in f/1.2 and f/1.8 designs, while Panasonic offers 42.5mm at f/1.7 or f/1.2. Dedicated mirrorless systems with APS-C sensors can follow the same rules as SLRs. Fujifilm has its 50mm F2 WR and Sony has its $300 E 50mm f/1.8 OSS for its APS-C mirrorless line. Fujiflm also has a higher-end option, the 56mm F1.2, which is available in a standard version or one with an apodization (APD) filter to smooth background blur.

Full-frame Sony mirrorless shooters have a very good, affordable lens in the FE 85mm F1.8—one  that can also be used with APS-C models. If you want something more premium, there is the high-end FE 85mm F1.4 GM and the 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS. The latter is a specialized design that includes an internal filter to smooth the blur behind your subject, similar to the one in the Fujiflim 56mm F1.2 APD.

Macro

One of the allures of photography as a hobby or vocation is the ability to capture the world in ways that our eyes cannot. Macro lenses, which focus close enough to bring the smallest details into clear view, are one way to do just that.

If you've got an entry-level Canon or Nikon SLR you can opt for a dedicated APS-C macro lens. Canon offers the EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro and 60mm f/2.8 Macro, while Nikon has the Micro-Nikkor DX 45mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/3.5. And full-frame macro lenses will also work on APS-C bodies—both have several available, and there are third-party choices too, like the excellent Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Macro.

Pentax owners have 50mm and 100mm autofocus macro lenses, compatible with both full-frame and APS-C bodies. Likewise, Sony SLR owners can opt for 50mm or 100mm from Sony itself.

Tamron offers macro options for both systems, although not the latest—you can get an older version of the Tamron 90mm for your Pentax or Sony SLR.

If you use the Canon EOS M system you have exactly one macro lens choice at this time—thankfully the $300 EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM delivers strong performance, boasts an integrated light to illuminate your subjects, and doesn't cost that much. The downside to it, and other macro lenses with a wider focal length, is that the working distance between your subject and the lens is very short in order tocapture subjects at life-size. The EF-M system doesn't have a longer macro at this point in time, but you can use Canon EF and EF-S SLR lenses with it via an adapter.For Micro Four Thirds,Olympus has 30mm and 60mm macro primes, while Panasonic offers 30mm and 45mm options. Fujifilm shooters can opt for macro primes in 60mm or 80mm, with the former hitting a more affordable price point and the latter compromising on nothing, including size (it's huge) or price ($1,200), but offering performance to match.

Sony has one APS-C macro prime, the low-cost 30mm F3.5 Macro. Full-fame Sony owners should skip that one, as it doesn't cover the entirety of the larger sensor size, and should instead look at the company's FE 90mm Macro.

Tilt-Shift

You're not going to find any tilt-shift lenses for entry-level cameras or APS-C sensors (at this time),nor any with autofocus.These lenses mimic the capability of large format cameras with bellows and movements.

Most useful for architectural photography, the shift function moves the lens up, down, left, or right. Setting your camera on a tripod, level to the ground, may cut off the top of a building, even if you've got a wideangle lens. Shifting up will get less of the ground and more of the structure you're photographing in frame. Yes, you can simply tilt the tripod head up with a standard lens, but doing so will introduce keystone distortion—the effect where lines that should be parallel in a photo converge.

The tilt effect changes the relationship between subject and image sensor in a different way. Typically a lens is perfectly parallel to the image sensor, but by tilting the lens you can change that. It gives you the ability to change the plane of focus—so if you're tasked with macro product photography, for instance, you can tilt the lens to get all of your subject in focus, while blurring the background, even if you're shooting it from an off angle.

Tilt-shift lenses are often associated with technical, clinical imaging. But they're not only used for that purpose. You can certainly use the tilt for an artistic effect. Isolating a subject in a wide-angle shot is effective, and tilt is also how you create images with the Diorama Effect optically rather than with software. Photographing real-world locations from a high angle and isolating areas of the image via tilt makes it look like you're shooting a miniature world with a macro lens. It's been mimicked via software, but with the right lens you can do it in-camera.

Canon and Nikon both have tilt-shift lenses in their current libraries. Canon calls them T-S and Nikon PC (Perspective Correction), but they don't come cheap—you're looking at a few thousand dollars at a minimum. Thankfully Samyang has a budget option, the T-S 24mm F3.5 ED AS UMC, which can be had for well under $1,000. It's available in several mounts, for both SLRs and mirrorless. The same lens is also sold under the Rokinon brand.

Special Effects and Manual Focus

Finally, we look at special effect lenses. Lensbaby and Lomography are the big names in this area, both offering a bevy of lenses that are, well, different. Exclusively manual focus, the Lensbaby Composer Pro II is a tilting lens mount with interchangeable optics. It's a popular choice for portraiture, as it allows you to really isolate your subject from the rest of the world. And, depending on which lens you put in the Composer Pro II, you can surround them with some almost trippy blur.

Lensbaby has moved beyond its tilting origins. It also sells more traditional lenses, without interchangeable optics. The Velvet 56 and Velvet 85 are soft focus optics with macro focusing support, and the Twist 60 uses Petzval optics, which draws background blur with a swirled look.

Lomography has its roots in Russia, selling Soviet-era film cameras to artists and hipsters alike. But, like Lensbaby, it's grown beyond its origins. Lomo was the first to reintroduce the Petzval look, with a pair of brass bodied, retro portrait lenses sold via Kickstarter. It's kept the brass look for another 19th century throwback, the Daguerreotype Achromat, and has gone out on a limb with the design of its Neptune lens series. The Neptune system puts lenses into two  pieces—a base that mounts to the camera, and detachable lenses (there are four right now) that connect to the base.

Manual focus lenses don't have to be made for special effects. There are a plethora of modern options out there from budget-minded brands filling gaps in libraries—think Venus Optics and Rokinon/Samyang—to high-end boutique brands—Leica, Schneider, and Zeiss come to mind.

There are reasons to choose a manual lens—they're especially useful for video production when paired with gear systems to smoothly adjust focus.  We tend to recommend autofocus lenses to most users, simply because they have more mass market appeal, but if you like to take complete control over making an image, manual focus will serve you well.

Spend Your Money Right

Many casual users who buy an interchangeable lens camera never move beyond the bundled zoom lens. If you're ready to go beyond the 18-55mm, think about what you want from your camera and what will get you there. Lenses are one upgrade to consider—a flash, off-camera lighting, or a good tripod are others.

But regardless of how much you want to or are willing to spend on your photographic endeavors, use the information at your disposal and make the right choice.